is called young eyed because it is the

youth of the year.

Throws from her green lap the pink and rose. This is a distinct and pleasing image; the beautiful contrast of green and rosy red, and the propriety of calling the lap of earth green, is agreeable to every reader.

When the soft turtle, &c.

The turtle telling her tale to summer is only a poetical manner of introducing that time of the year.

And stains with wine.-Autumn is the season of the vintage when wine is made.

Like a pilgrim old.-Pilgrims were persons, who travelled from home to distant countries from motives of devotion; they are generally spoken of

as persons worn out with age and fatigue.

Solemn whispers.-Fancy is said to whisper, because what she suggests is known only to the persons who are supposed to listen to her.

"Oh warm enthusiastic maid,
Without thy powerful vital aid,
That breathes an energy divine,
That gives a soul to every line,
Ne'er may I strive with lips profane
To utter an unhallowed strain,

Nor dare to touch the sacred string,
Save when with smiles thou bid'st me sing."

Energy.-A force or power of ex

ertion.

A soul.-Without fancy poetry is like a body without a soul.

Profane.-None but certain persons were admitted into certain parts of temples of the ancients, which

the

were called sometimes fanes. Those who were kept without were pro-fane, or excluded from the fane, Hallowed-made holy.

Save when with smiles.-The poet expresses a hope that he may never be tempted to sing save (except) when Fancy inspires him.

"Oh hear my prayer, oh hither come,
From thy lamented Shakespeare's tomb,
On which thou lov'st to sit at eve,
Musing o'er thy darling grave;
Oh! queen of numbers once again
Animate some chosen swain,
Who filled with unexhausted fire,
May boldly smite the sounding lyre;
May rise above the rhyming throng,
And with some new unequall'd song,
O'er all our list❜ning passions reign;
O'erwhelm our souls with joy and pain,
With terror shake, with pity move,
Rouse with revenge, or melt with love."

Shakespeare's tomb.-It is said by the first of critics, that it is the end of tragic poetry to purify the soul by terror and pity. These lines of Wharton while they point out the true sources of poetry, are themselves an example of the excellence to which they excite. The poet supposes Fancy to dwell in the tomb of Shakespeare, who is by Milton called Fancy's child.

Queen of numbers.-Poetry is sometimes called numbers, because verse has a particular number, and music particular measures which constitute harmony. Fancy is here called the queen of numbers, that is to say, queen of poetry.

Smite--is used as being a stronger expression than strike.

Rhyming throng.-Those who write

indifferent poetry which is distinguished from prose only by rhyme.

"Oh deign t'attend his evening walk,
With him in groves and grottoes talk,
Teach him to scorn with frigid art,
Feebly to touch the enraptured heart;
Like lightning let his mighty verse
The bosom's inmost foldings pierce;
With native beauties win applause
Beyond cold critic's studied laws.
Oh let each Muse's fame increase,
Oh bid Britannia rival Greece!"

Tattend-would be better" attend" without the preposition, a mode of writing allowable in poetry.

His evening walk. His refers to the swain, for whom the poet invokes Fancy.

These last lines are inferior to the rest of the poem; but Wharton wished to end it with a compliment to his own country.